Homelessness in the aftermath of COVID-19

Homelessness has rapidly become one of the greatest threats to global health in a generation (The Lancet, 2019). In 2005, the United Nations reported that an estimated 100 million people were homeless, and as many as 1.6 billion people were living in inadequate housing worldwide (Habitat for Humanity, 2015). People who are homeless—especially those that have been homeless since their younger years—are at an increased risk of developing significant health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and several psychiatric disorders (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), 2019).

Often paramedics are the first and only health professionals that a homeless person may contact in a medical emergency (Tang et al, 2019). It is critical therefore for paramedics to be aware of the increasing prevalence of homelessness, as well as its impact. Only then can any action be taken to prevent the effects of this rapidly increasing health inequality on emergency care in the future (Tang et al, 2019).